Vic Aure's path to becoming the sixth manager in Springfield Sliders history is perhaps the most unique but he's determined to make the most of the opportunity, hoping to drop the term “interim” from his title.

Whatever the ownership of the Sliders decides at the end of this season, Aure still hopes to be around in any way, shape or form.

A Maryland native, Aure has lived in California, the District of Columbia, Arizona and Alaska during his time in the U.S. Air Force.

It was in Alaska that the bulk of his baseball coaching foundation was laid.

There he coached American Legion baseball in Fairbanks and at two schools east of Fairbanks: North Pole High School and Ben Eielson Air Force Base High School. His American Legion team went to the Alaska state finals for the first time in 30 years.

Despite the success he had, which included a fifth-place finish in the 2008 Alaska School Activities Association state tournament with North Pole, he said he never lost sight of the big picture.

“Winning is important, but it's not that important,” he said. “I like them to learn something.”

During those years, Aure also served as a regional scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2008 to 2009, the same organization that drafted his son in the 15th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

A new home

Aure and his wife of 30 years, Kim, left Alaska for Illinois in 2010. Kim, retired from the Air Force, is a native of Atterberry near Petersburg, where the family currently lives.

Since coming to central Illinois, Aure hasn't been without baseball.

In 2011, he served as a volunteer assistant at Robert Morris University–Springfield for two months and with the Sliders under then-manager Danny Cox.

When Pete Romero took over the team in 2012, Aure moved into a paid assistant coach spot and stayed there until the team dismissed Romero last Wednesday after starting the season 6-29.

“It was a perfect fit because Vic's been here,” Sliders' general manager Bill Hill said. “I think he's more than capable of keeping this team up and playing good ball.”

Aure also returned to assist at RMU this season and also gives private lessons — all around his full-time job with the Army National Guard in Springfield

Pitching oriented

The Sliders dropped a pair of close games in Aure's first two contests as interim manager. That included Sunday's 5-3 loss to Danville in which Springfield starter Chance Simpson needed just 101 pitches to go the distance.

Page 2 of 2 - That goes along with Aure telling his pitchers he wants efficiency.

“One of our drills we do for our pitchers here is when they do their bullpens, they throw three innings — seven pitches per inning,” Aure said.

For every ball of the seven not a strike, the pitcher must run from foul pole to foul pole before throwing the next inning of seven pitches.

“I tell them the game is very simple if you throw strikes,” Aure said.

But Aure isn't just a pitching specialist and focuses on a team playing small ball to win.

“There are some coaches who don't like small ball and that's a lost art,” he said.

Despite the lack of wins — entering Monday's game against Chillicothe the Sliders were 1-6 in the second half and 6-31 overall — Aure hopes to win the nod for the same job next year.

“Here, the organization gave me an opportunity and this is my opportunity, my audition, to show them what I can do,” Aure said. “But I want the kids to know when they leave here they've learned something.

“I don't do it for the money; I do it because I enjoy doing it and I enjoy working with the kids. It's all about the kids, the fans, the organization.”